“The greater the hurt or injustice, the less I want to move toward forgiveness.”

A thought by Larry Osborne, (2009-04-04) from his book, Ten Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe (p. 36). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

We all understand this to be true but we also understand that it is in our own best interest to forgive. It makes a difference in us spiritually, relationally and emotionally. To not forgive hurts us even more than the hurt by the other person. But the problem is I don't want them to get away with it.

But as Larry says, “When we offer forgiveness to those who have no excuse-and for things most of the world would consider unforgivable-we become most like Jesus. That's when I turn to what I call the prayer of permission.”

So what is the prayer of permission? He goes on, “It's a prayer I pray when I have no desire or motivation to do what I know I should do. It's a simple prayer in which I give God permission to change the way I feel about a person or situation. I don't ask him to help me forgive. I've usually asked that and gotten nowhere, because I didn't really want to forgive in the first place. So I back up one step and give God permission to change the way I feel, to make me want to forgive.”

It is giving God permission to change the way you feel, to make you want to forgive. That is a great place to start.

As Larry says, “Forgiving is a big deal. It's not just for those who have done the little things that get us so worked up. It's for those who are responsible for the big stuff as well.” It when “we become most like Jesus.”

Is that a prayer you need to pray today?

Comments

“There’s a big difference between building a castle and building a kingdom.”

A thought by Bob Goff from his book, Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People ( p. 41). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Have you ever built a sand castle or maybe a Lego castle? Have you? Bob says, “We actually build castles all the time, out of our jobs and our families and the things we’ve purchased. Sometimes we even make them out of each other. Some of these castles are impressive too. Lots of people come to admire what we’ve built over the course of our lives and tell us what great castles we have. But Jesus told His friends we weren’t supposed to spend our lives building castles. He said He wanted us to build a kingdom, and there’s a big difference between building a castle and building a kingdom.” Bob goes on, “You see, castles have moats to keep creepy people out, but kingdoms have bridges to let everyone in. Castles have dungeons for people who ha...

“When you understand that life is a test, you realize that nothing is insignificant in your life.”

A thought by Rick Warren, (2012-10-23) from his book, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Purpose Driven Life, The) (p. 57). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. To realize that from God’s perspective life is a test goes a long way in determining how you handle your life. It is important to see that in testing your character is both developed and revealed. Rick goes on to say that “even the smallest incident has significance for your character development. Every day is an important day, and every second is a growth opportunity to deepen your character, to demonstrate love, or to depend on God.” So there is a God purpose behind each situation in your life. Even the bad ones are there to strengthen you and develop you. You see those bad situations are really good ones because they are there for your good. I start each day with a reminder that God is good. Not every situation that is going to come in my day is good but because G...

“Sometimes we think we’re stuck simply because things are hard.”

A thought by Matt Perman, from his book, How to Get Unstuck (p. 52). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the That is a possible trap for many, isn’t it? Matt says, “But if you’re continuing to make progress and aren’t experiencing huge snags, you’re not stuck. Rather, you’re in a dip. “A dip is a temporary hard slog that you will get through if you keep pushing and don’t give up. And pushing through the hard slog is actually the fastest route to the destination. In these cases, you will be especially tempted to bail. Be discerning and able to identify that you’re in a legitimate dip and you’re not a failure.” Matt says another trap to be careful of, “Some people are stuck and don’t know it.” He goes on, “Everything can be going your way, going smoothly, and going quickly. Everything feels and seems wonderful. Yet... you are still headed toward a dead end, a form of getting stuck, if you are leaving God out of t...

Just Continue That Thought...

Search This Blog